She went to a doctor and said she was told she had arthritis or nerve damage, but she knew it was something more.

"When they told me it was arthritis, I knew that is was more than just arthritis. I wasn't satisfied with it, so I switched doctors and lucked into a doctor who looked further into the situation," Johnson said.

She visited Mercy Medical Center's Dr. Bonnie Gerecke, who did further testing and diagnosed her with MS, which is a disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord. Gerecke said it's a disease that is hard to pin down.

"I think the main reason it is difficult to diagnose is many of the symptoms patients with MS experience are symptoms that people who don't have the condition experience. For example, fatigue is a common symptom of MS, but who doesn't experience fatigue?" Gerecke explained.

She said doctors need to go over a patient's clinical history, give a thorough exam and then decide if additional tests are needed.

"Usually the MRIs are confirmatory, so the brain and spinal MRIs for the most part confirm the diagnosis, although that's not always the case," Gerecke said.

Johnson said for patients experiencing similar problems to not let doctors write them off, and listen to their bodies. Although there is no cure for MS, she at least now has the proper medication to treat her disease.

"I feel great and relieved that I do know the answer and what's going on with me," she said.

RESEARCHERS SAY THE STUDY AS TO EVIDENCE THAT CONCUSSION PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM COGNITIVE ARREST AS WELL AS PHYSICAL REST. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IS A TRICKY DISEASE TO DIAGNOSE. A REQUIRES THE PATIENT AND THE DOCTOR TO BE PERSISTENT. LISA ROBINSON HAS MORE. KNEE PAIN. HAD PAIN GOING DOWN MY LEGS, MY FOOT GOT WEAK. MS. JOHNSON SAYS SHE STARTED FEELING THAT WAY 10 YEARS AGO. SHE WAS TOLD SHE HAD ARTHRITIS. THEY SAID ARTHRITIS, I KNEW IT WAS MORE THAN ARTHRITIS. I WAS NOT SATISFIED. I SWITCHED DOCTORS. FINALLY, LUCKED INTO A DOCTOR WHO LOOKED INTO THE SITUATION. THE DOCTOR DIAGNOSED HER WITH MS, A DISEASE OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AFFECTING THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD. IT IS A DISEASE THAT IS HARD TO PIN DOWN. MANY OF THE SYMPTOMS THAT PATIENTS EXPERIENCE ARE SYMPTOMS THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T HAVE THE CONDITION EXPERIENCE. FATIGUE IS A COMMON SYSTEM, -- FATIGUE IS A COMMON SYMPTOM. DOCTORS NEED TO GIVE A THOROUGH EXAM AND THEN DECIDE IF TESTS ARE NEEDED. MRI'S ARE CONFIRMATORY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. SHE SAYS DO NOT LET DOCTORS WRITE YOU OFF AND LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. THERE IS NO CURE FOR MS, BUT SHE NOW HAS THE PROPER MEDICATION TO TREAT HEART DISEASE. -- HER DISEASE.